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Women’S Health Priorities And Interventions, Marleen Temmerman, Rajat Khosla, Laura Laski, Zoe Mathews, Lale Say

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Over the past decades, governments have taken steps towards improving women’s health in line with commitments made in key international summits. Progress has been made in reducing maternal mortality,1 which accelerated with the launch of the United Nations secretary general’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health in 2010. Use of maternal healthcare and family planning has increased in some countries.2 Progress has also been seen on two determinants of women’s health—school enrolment rates for girls and political participation of women—but not for others such as gender based violence.3

However, societies are still failing women in relation to health, especially …

Implementation Of Point-Of-Care Diagnostics Leads To Variable Uptake Of Syphilis, Anemia And Cd4+ T-Cell Count Testing In Rural Maternal And Child Health Clinics, Caroline De Schacht, Carlota Lucas, Nádia Sitoe, Rhoderick Machekano, Patrina Chongo, Marleen Temmerman, Ocean Tobaiwa, Laura Guay, Seble Kassaye, Ilesh V. Jani

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Introduction: Anemia, syphilis and HIV are high burden diseases among pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa. A quasi-experimental study was conducted in four health facilities in Southern Mozambique to evaluate the effect of point-of-care technologies for hemoglobin quantification, syphilis testing and CD4+ T-cell enumeration performed within maternal and child health services on testing and treatment coverage, and assessing acceptability by health workers.

Methods: Demographic and testing data on women attending first antenatal care services were extracted from existing records, before (2011; n = 865) and after (2012; n = 808) introduction of point-of-care testing. Study outcomes per health facility were compared …

Effect Of Vitamin E Supplementation On Inflammatory Markers And Nutrition Status In Thalassemia Intermedia Patients, Watcharee Prapawatwech, Bunchoo Pongtanakul, Kulwara Meksawan

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Inflammation is a complication found in thalassemic patients. It may be diminished by supplementation of vitamin E. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 12-week vitamin E supplementation on inflammatory markers in patients with tha...

The Relationship Between Religiosity And Health-Promoting Behaviors Of Pregnant Women At Pregnancy Resource Centers, Natalie Ann Cyphers

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: While religiosity (e.g. prayer, attending church) has been reported to be related to health behaviors in pregnant women, whether religiosity was related to health-promoting behaviors in pregnant women at Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRC) had not been previously studied. The purpose of this research study was to explore the relationship between religiosity and health-promoting behaviors of pregnant women at PRC. PRC are Christian community-based centers with a focus on meeting needs of pregnant women.

Methods: Pender’s Health Promotion Model guided this descriptive correlational study. A consecutive sample included pregnant women who knew they were pregnant at least two months, could …

Precarious Existence And Capitalism: A Permanent State Of Exception, Tayyab Mahmud

Faculty Articles

The contemporary neoliberal era is marked by an exponential expansion of contingent and precarious labor markets. In this context, the construct of precarity emerged to signify labor conditions of permanent insecurity and precariousness. Coming at the heels of the era of Keynesian welfare, precarity is mostly seen as an exception to the normal trajectory of capitalist formations. The basic argument of this paper is that under capitalism, for the working classes precarious existence is the norm rather than the exception. Precarity is the outcome not only of insecurities of labor markets but also of capital’s capture and colonization of life …

An Assessment Of Biochar Amended Soilless Media For Nursery Propagation Of Northern Rocky Mountain Native Plants, Clarice P. Matt

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A study was conducted to better inform nursery practitioners of the potential benefits of biochar application in common nursery media for native plant propagation. Biochar – a carbon-rich, recalcitrant charred organic co-product of the bioenergy pyrolysis process – has emerged as a promising potential replacement for various components of soilless media, namely peat, perlite, and vermiculite, in nursery seedling propagation. A strong conceptual basis exists for biochar as a nursery media amendment, but empirical data on biochar-based plant propagation is limited. This greenhouse study examined the effects of biochar displacement of standard soilless nursery media at rates of 0%, 15%, …

Impact Of A Flame Resistant Synthetic Material Base Layer On Heat Stress Factors, Matthew C. Dorton

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Protective clothing worn by wildland firefighters (WLFF) may increase physiological strain and heat stress factors due to increased insulation and decreased ventilation. PURPOSE: To examine the effects of a flame resistant synthetic material base layer on heat stress factors. METHODS: Ten recreationally active males (25 ± 6.1 yrs, 80.9 ± 8.4 kg, 11.1 ± 5.3% fat, 4.4 ± 0.6 L·min-1 VO2 max) completed two trials of intermittent (50 min walking, 10 min sitting) treadmill walking (4km/hr, 4% grade) over 3 hours in a hot, dry environment (35⁰C, 30% rh). Participants wore standard WLFF Nomex green pants, Nomex yellow shirt with …

The Sensitivity Of Soil Respiration To Soil Temperature, Moisture, And Carbon Supply At The Global Scale, Andrew Hursh

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Soil respiration is one of the most important terms in the global carbon budget, yet we know very little about how important environmental factors control this process at the global scale. Soils contain more carbon than terrestrial biomass and the atmosphere combined and contribute ten times more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere each year than the burning of fossil fuels. This study provides new insight on the factors driving soil respiration at the global scale by assimilating satellite observations of soil moisture, temperature, and net primary productivity with the Global Soil Respiration Database (SRDB).While temperature, moisture, carbon supply and other …

The Last Wolves Of Isle Royale, Kasey Rahn

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Isle Royale National Park, located in Michigan, is home to a wolf population that is in decline due to complications from inbreeding. Scientists and managers struggle to decide whether to intervene. Some scientists promote bringing new wolves to the island to restore the population because they say the decline is human-caused. Others promote “watchful waiting.” To date, the National Park Service has not interceded and is currently undergoing a management planning process. The issue raises questions about what it means to manage wildlife in an era of change. Should humans intervene to protect wildlife in the face of climate change …

The Crypt People From The Cathedral Basilica Of Saints Stanislaus And Vladislaus, Vilnius, Lithuania: Reconstruction Of Life Histories Using Stable Isotope Analysis, Kaylee Schotten

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stable isotope analyses of multiple tissue types have been used to reconstruct life histories of individuals from past populations. This thesis presents the life history reconstructions of a unique population recovered from a 16th to 18th century cathedral crypt located in Vilnius, Lithuania. The sample consists of 23 individuals (21 males, one possible female, and one juvenile). Stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope analyses were performed on bone and dentin collagen, and on bone and enamel hydroxyapatite, resulting in eight isotope values per individual, providing both childhood and adult dietary and migration information. For bone collagen the average δ13C isotope …

The Effect Of Mulch And Watering On Tomato Yields And Potential For Adoption During The Dry Season In Nanjara Village, Tanzania, Emily A. Okal

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

The Drunken Path: Discerning Women's Voices And Participation In The Informal Economy Of Illegal Manufacturing Of Prohibition Alcohol In The Historical And Archaeological Record, Kelli M. Casias

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis puts the Prohibition years in Anaconda and Butte, Montana, into historical, and sociocultural context to discover an engendered narrative of liquor law violators between the years 1923 and 1926 and to investigate the scope of the local informal, illegal, illicit economic systems dictating the distribution of illegal liquor during that era. The transference of the means and modes of production, as envisioned by Karl Marx, and collective social resistance serve as the theoretical frameworks for analysis and examination of three case studies. The first, Poacher Gulch is a remote mining site in western Montana, was the subject of …

Linking The Effects Of Risk Factors On Annual Calf Survival To Elk Population Dynamics In The Bitterroot Valley, Montana, Daniel R. Eacker

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The recolonization of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in multiple carnivore systems has been correlated with declining recruitment of juvenile ungulates, but the importance of wolves relative to other established carnivores is uncertain. The realized effect of carnivores may depend on compensation from forage and winter weather severity, which may mediate juvenile vulnerability to predation. Also, in high predation systems, the importance of juvenile recruitment may be reduced for ungulate population dynamics. We first tested for the effects of risk factors on annual elk (Cervus elaphus) calf survival and estimated cause-specific mortality rates. Secondly, we investigated the …

Maximal Femoral Artery Blood Flow During Cycle Ergometry, Tucker W. Squires

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

MAXIMAL FEMORAL ARTERY BLOOD FLOW DURING CYCLE ERGOMETRY

Chairperson: Matthew Bundle Ph.D.

The delivery of oxygen to working muscle in order to support aerobic respiration has long been recognized as one of the critical elements conferring endurance performance. Oxygen is transported from the environment to the active cells by the cardiovascular system, which is classically understood to deliver progressively greater amounts of gas to support increased levels of aerobic metabolism. However, the vast majority of existing studies have used modes of exercise that activate relatively small volumes of muscle and consequently have relatively small demands for oxygen delivery. We measured …

Coevolution And Cospeciation In A Bark-Beetle Fungal Symbiosis, Ryan Russell Bracewell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Bark beetles in the genus Dendroctonus are some of the most important insects in forest ecosystems worldwide and are known to be involved in symbiotic relationships with fungi. However, we have a poor understanding of beetle-fungal coevolution and if the specificity we see in beetle-fungal relationships may translate to cospeciation over longer time frames. In this dissertation, I attempt to answer these questions by investigating the western pine beetle (Dendroctonus brevicomis)-fungal symbiosis, a beetle that consists of two putative cryptic species in the early stages of divergence on two susbspecies of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa). In the first chapter, I …

Does Migration Matter? Causes And Consequences Of Migratory Behavior In Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep, Derek Benjamin Spitz

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Despite their potential conservation importance, the demographic implications of migratory behavior remain poorly understood. Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae; hereafter “Sierra bighorn”) are federally-endangered and partially migratory. In summer, Sierra bighorn share high-elevation summer ranges, but in winter some individuals migrate to lower elevation for winter while others remain resident at high-elevation. Lower elevations have better forage in winter, but these areas also carry an increased risk of predation from Sierra bighorn's primary predator, the cougar (Puma concolor). We should therefore expect differences in winter conditions to result in demographic differences between migrants and residents.

First, I developed …

Food- And Health-Related Correlates Of Self-Reported Body Mass Index Among Low-Income Mothers Of Young Children, Karen Mccurdy, Tiffani S. Kisler, Kathleen S. Gorman, Elizabeth Metallinos-Katsaras

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

Objective: To examine how income-related challenges regarding food and health are associated with variation in self-reported maternal body weight among low-income mothers.

Design: Cross-sectional design.

Setting: Two Northeastern cities. Seven day care centers and a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program outreach project.

Participants: Sample of 166 mothers; 67% were overweight or obese, 55% were Hispanic, and 42% reported household food insecurity (HFI).

Main Outcome Measures: Maternal self-reported height and weight to calculate body mass index (BMI). Independent variables were food program participation, supermarket use, 8-item food shopping practices scale, HFI, maternal depressive symptoms, and self-rated health.

Analysis: Hierarchical multiple regression analysis …

Awaken Your Agepotential, Exploring Chosen Paths Of Thrivers, Skye N. Leedahl

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Goodwill Organizations And Community Collaboration On Aids-Orphans' Needs In Nyanza Province, Kenya, Anthonia Nwagbo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A number of researchers have explored the toll of AIDS on the children who have become orphans as a result of the disease; others have investigated the roles of aid-giving agencies on the alleviation of the orphans' situation. However, despite researchers' pointing to the germaneness of community and goodwill agency liaison, no study had examined the impact of such collaboration on the resources available to the orphans. To this end, the heads-of-household of 532 AIDS orphans under 18 years old in Kenya's Nyanza province were surveyed to investigate the impact of community-referral on the state of AIDS orphans with regard …

Perspectives On Hiv/Aids: American-Based Nigerian Women Who Experienced Polygamy In Rural Nigeria, Christianah Oluseyi Olorunfemi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traditionally, in Nigeria women play a subservient role in relation to men. While a man can practice polygamy by marrying many wives, women cannot marry more than one husband at a time. Although researchers have documented the effects of polygamy on the spread of HIV/AIDS, little is known about the experiences of polygamy by Nigerian women who stopped practicing polygamy by immigrating to the United States without their husbands. It is important to know the experiences of these women as they pertain specifically to the spread of HIV/AIDS so as to develop a preventive intervention for HIV/AIDS among Nigerian women …

Adhd And Multiple Intelligences: Does A Pattern Exist?, Kathleen Mettler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has typically been treated with a deficits-based response while most research has ignored any intelligence differences between the subtypes, despite differing symptomology. This quantitative study explored whether or not a distinct pattern of intelligences existed within each of the subtypes or presentations of ADHD: inattentive (IT), hyperactive (HT), and combined (CT). Using Gardner's multiple intelligences theory, data were collected via an online, self-administered survey from a sample of 132 participants, over 18 years of age, with IT, HT, and CT ADHD. The goal was to identify the most predominant of 8 different strengths or intelligences. …

Obesity And Workplace Injury In Hazardous Occupations Among The Hispanic/Latino Population, Barbara Klyde

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past 20 years, adult obesity has increased in the United States, especially among the Hispanic/Latino population. In 2010, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Environmental and Safety News, reported that younger workers, ages 18 to19 years of age, worked in the most high-risk occupations such as agriculture, construction, fishing, and manufacturing. The reported fatality rates for these occupations were 5.6 times greater for Hispanic workers compared to other race/ethnicity groups reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2013. This study determined whether obesity contributed to workplace injury or mortality in hazardous occupations, using federal, state, and independent …

World Poverty And Food Insecurity, Carmen Gonzalez

Faculty Articles

Our present global economic order produces a stable pattern of widespread malnutrition and starvation among the poor, with some eighteen million persons dying each year from poverty related causes, and there are likely to be feasible alternative regimes that /ill not produce similarly severe deprivations. If this is so, the victims of avoidable deprivations are not merely poor and starving, but impoverished and starved through an institutional order coercively imposed upon them. There is an injustice to this economic order, which it would be wrong for its more affluent participants to perpetuate.

A Homeless Bill Of Rights (Revolution), Sara Rankin

Faculty Articles

This article examines an emerging movement so far unexplored by legal scholarship: the proposal and, in some states, the enactment of a Homeless Bill of Rights. This article presents these new laws as a lens to re-examine storied debates over positive and social welfare rights. Homeless bills of rights also present a compelling opportunity to re-examine rights-based theories in the context of social movement scholarship. Specifically, could these laws be understood as part of a new “rights revolution”? What conditions might influence the impact of these new laws on the individual rights of the homeless or the housed? On American …

Factors Impacting Body Mass Index Of Hispanic Youth In A Weight Loss Program, Elizabeth Maria Hartman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth obesity prevalence rates in the United States are trending down; however, for Hispanic youth, rates are increasing despite efforts toward a reduction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a culturally focused intervention program on weight reduction of Hispanic youth age 2 to 19 through examination of body mass index (BMI) percentile outcomes comparing age, gender, distance to program, time in program, and season of enrollment. Review of literature supports ecological and cultural approaches requiring behavior modification tailored to family and community as successful in decreasing youth obesity. However, researchers have yet to establish how …

Maternal Depression, Infant Feeding Practices, And Weight Gain Among African American And Hispanic Women, Alphonsus Maduwuba Agbaere

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood overweight and obesity are public health concerns that have negative health consequences and affect many children. Efforts are needed to identify children who are at a higher risk of developing overweight and obesity so that early detection and treatment may be offered. The intent of this study was to investigate the differences in the effects of postpartum depression on infant feeding practices and infant weight gain between Hispanic and African American women. Data were obtained from Infant Feeding Practices Study 11, a longitudinal study involving mothers in their third trimester through infants first year of life. The overall test …

Spheres Of Influence: Understanding African American Males' Perceptions And Attitudes Toward Infant Feeding Practices, Makeva M. Rhoden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although U.S. breastfeeding rates have steadily increased since 2000, there continues to be a disparity in breastfeeding rates for African American (AA) women compared to their non-Hispanic White counterparts. A male partner's perception, specifically his positive attitude toward breastfeeding, may influence breastfeeding initiation and duration rates. This study was an exploration of AA male perceptions and attitudes toward breastfeeding and what effect masculinity ideology (gender norms) has on such attitudes. The socio-ecological model (SEM) was used as the theoretical framework to examine the various environmental levels that intersect with one another to influence these attitudes. A mixed methods study design, …

The 47 Percent: U.S. Trends In Income Maintenance And Medicaid Spending, 1990-2011, Elgin Mannion, Gordon C. Chang

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

We analyze trends and variations in state-level expenditure growth for Medicaid, SSI, SNAP, and TANF. We explore three areas of interest: (1) How program structure impacts growth; (2) How programs responded to the 2008/2009 recession; and (3) How state preference for limited government, measured by Right- To-Work (RTW) status and political affiliation, impacts program expenditure growth. Findings show that program structure impacts expenditure growth: the state-matched programs like TANF and Medicaid grew slower from 1990-2011 than did open-ended federal programs like SNAP. OLS models found states with RTW policies and large Hispanic populations positively associated with higher income maintenance and …

(Un)Safe At School: Parents' Work Of Securing Nursing Care And Coordinating School Health Support Services Delivery For Children With Diabetes In Ontario Schools, Lisa Watt

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Using institutional ethnography and its approach to mapping institutional sequences (Smith, 2005; Turner, 2006), this paper examines the social organization of School Health Support Services (SHSS) for children with diabetes in Ontario schools. The inquiry starts with my own situated experience as a mother of a child with diabetes starting kindergarten, and the trouble of securing the health supports necessary to care for my child’s health and safety while she is at school. The paper takes up two specific texts—the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) Referral Form and the CCAC Medical Orders for Services at School—to explore and describe how …

Differentiating Demographic Factors In Latino Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Carol Lynne Manning

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) data suggest that Latinos share a greater burden of disease than do non-Latino Whites with type 2 diabetes. As a result of poor glycemic control, Latinos also suffer consequences such as blindness, kidney disease, and limb amputation more often than do other ethnic groups. The purpose of this study was to compare demographic factors of Latinos with well-controlled type 2 diabetes, as measured by a HgbA1c of 7 or less (n = 118) to Latinos not well controlled (n = 105). This cross sectional study used a secondary data set with a sample selected from …